Robo Vikes Wishlist

As the season approaches we look for new tools to improve our efficiency in producing top quality robots. To outline the major machines and tools we need for this effort, we have drafted a needs list. Some of the major items include a welding table, a horizontal band saw, and a STEM center. This also assisted us with making a preliminary budget. All of these items have different uses and they will all benefit our team immensely.

We need a horizontal band saw to increase our productivity in the shop. Horizontal band saws have a rotating blade that you bring down onto the piece you are cutting. Unlike a vertical band saw where you move the piece along a table into the stationary blade. The horizontal band saw is more accurate because the piece is stationary and the blade is on a fixed track. This adds another element of safety because your hands will not be near the blade. This tool will allow us to make more intricate cuts and make cuts more efficiently.

Another thing we need is a welding table. The welding table would enable us to combine pieces more easily and help us stay more organized in the shop. Welding is essential to our success because we work with mainly metal and do not always have a bracket to combine the pieces. This would be a huge help in the shop because during the build season we have to fabricate multiple parts in a very short time.

A long term investment we are looking for is constructing a STEM center. Our ability would increase greatly with a STEM center. We would have more space to work since it would be designed to exactly what we need. It would also solve a persisting issue of power, we would always be able to get enough electricity to power our machines. It is also safer since we would be disconnected from the school and the building would have more safety features installed.